At 100, McClain looks back on a legacy of firsts

5:49 AM,
Jan. 10, 2013

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Written by

Barry M. Horstman

When William A. McClain came to Cincinnati in the 1930s, the color of his skin made it difficult for him to catch a cab at Union Terminal.

On Friday, when he celebrates his 100th birthday, Cincinnati will come to McClain, to honor him for helping to bring down such dehumanizing racial barriers during a lengthy legal career marked by a number of momentous firsts.

First black member of the Cincinnati Bar Association, first black Cincinnati city solicitor, first black member of any major Cincinnati law firm, first black judge on the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court bench - these noteworthy ...